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Live your life with Jesus in earnest! Part three. Biblical lecture of 21 March 2012 (video)
Post date: 2014-04-17Autor: BCP
Biblical lecture of 21 March 2012. Live your life with Jesus in earnest! Part three. + Elijah Patriarch of the Byzantine Catholic Patriarchate
Live your life with Jesus in earnest! Part four. Biblical lecture of 21 March 2012 video)
Post date: 2014-04-17Autor: BCP
Biblical lecture of 21 March 2012. Live your life with Jesus in earnest! Part four. + Elijah Patriarch of the Byzantine Catholic Patriarchate
Live your life with Jesus in earnest! Part two. Biblical lecture of 21 March 2012 (video)
Post date: 2014-04-15Autor: BCP
Biblical lecture of 21 March 2012. Live your life with Jesus in earnest! Part two. + Elijah Patriarch of the Byzantine Catholic Patriarchate
Live your life with Jesus in earnest! Part one. Biblical lecture of 21 March 2012 (video)
Post date: 2014-04-14Autor: BCP
Biblical lecture of 21 March 2012. Live your life with Jesus in earnest! Part one. + Elijah Patriarch of the Byzantine Catholic Patriarchate
Reflection on Jn 9:35-38
Post date: 2014-04-12Autor: BCP
Chapter nine of John’s Gospel describes in detail the event relating to the healing of the blind man and the spiteful reaction of the religious leaders – the Pharisees and the scribes. There are three kinds of blindness: physical blindness when man is sightless, mental blindness when man is bereft of reason and spiritual blindness when man does not believe in God. Just as in the times of Christ, so also today there are people who reject Christ and are spiritually blind, though they are able to see and sane in mind. The main reason why people do not believe is that they do not want to. They do not want to accept the way of salvation which God offers them. Everyone needs personal experience with God. No theological study can substitute for this personal faith. The living faith is poured into our hearts by God. It is His gift. We receive this gift in our personal encounter with Him.
Reflection on Jn 8:34-36
Post date: 2014-03-29Autor: BCP
Jesus emphasizes an important truth with the words: “Truly, truly, I say to you...” He speaks about slavery. There is physical slavery and spiritual or mental slavery. One can be a physical slave and yet free of sin, and on the other hand, one can decide about life and death and yet be a slave of sin. There are light sins which we commit in daily life but there are also sins which make man a slave. Many people are slaves of alcohol, drugs or various forms of impurity. Slaves of pride, hatred, revenge, thievery, cynicism. Slaves cannot make themselves free. Jesus gives us true freedom: “If the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.”
Reflection on Jn 7:38-39
Post date: 2014-03-15Autor: BCP
Rivers of living water will flow out of the hearts of those who have received the fullness of the Holy Spirit. But the first condition is to believe in Christ. It is said here that the Holy Spirit was not yet given in fullness because Jesus had not yet accomplished the work of salvation. He did so when He died for our sins on Calvary, rose from the dead on the third day and ascended into heaven on the fourtieth day.
Reflection on Jn 6:54-56
Post date: 2014-03-01Autor: BCP
Chapter six of the Gospel of John describes the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves, when Jesus fed five thousand people. Then Jesus departed to a deserted place by Himself and prayed there. The Apostles went over the sea in a boat and Jesus was walking on the sea. On the next day, the people who had eaten of the loaves and been filled came to Jesus and He spoke about the bread from heaven. He said: “I am the bread which came down from heaven.” And then: “I am the living bread. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. If any man eats of this bread, he shall not die.” He also said (v.53): “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you.”
Reflection on Jn 5:24
Post date: 2014-02-15Autor: BCP
Whenever Jesus meant to emphasize a certain important truth, he introduced it with the words: “Amen, amen, I say to you”, or “Truly, truly, I say to you”. It is similar to the words of a judge claiming authority when he delivers a verdict on behalf of the nation. What important truth concerning each of us is Jesus going to say? He speaks about eternal life, death and judgment. These are very serious things, existential and unavoidable. The first truth relates to the present time and eternal life. Jesus says: “has eternal life”. The second truth relates to the future: “shall not come into judgment”. And the third truth relates to the past: “has passed from death into life”.
Reflection on Jn 4:23
Post date: 2014-02-01Autor: BCP
Jesus points out those who worship God in Spirit and truth. What does it mean to worship God in Spirit? It means that a Christian must first receive the Holy Spirit. “If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.” (Rom 8:9) “No one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit.” (1Cor 12:3) So if we have received Jesus Christ and become children of God, we must also receive the Holy Spirit by faith like the Apostles. Jesus says: “When the Holy Spirit has come upon you, you shall be My witnesses.” (Acts 1:8) If we witness to Jesus, through the power of the Spirit people can receive the saving faith and be saved.
Reflection on Jn 3:16
Post date: 2014-01-18Autor: BCP
God loved you so much that He gave His only begotten Son who suffered the most extreme suffering and shameful death on the cross for you and your sins. Could God show His love for you more? How much do you love Him in return? How much do you love the Heavenly Father and how much do you love Jesus Christ who sacrificed His life for your sake? Why did He do so? That you should not perish in eternal suffering where sin, the world’s system of lies and the forces of darkness lead you. Instead of perdition God gives you the free gift of eternal life through the merits of Jesus.
Reflection on Jn 1:11-12; 2:24-25
Post date: 2013-12-21Autor: BCP
Jesus is true God. He was born in a humble stable in Bethlehem. His own did not receive Him. The priests, the then theologians, did not receive Him. Simple folk, the apostles, received Him. As many as received Him and believed in His name have become children of God. This is an important truth. To become a child of God, one must receive Jesus and believe in His name.
Reflection on Romans 8:35-36
Post date: 2013-10-26Autor: BCP
Who is God? What is God’s love? We can perceive it by our reason too. God is the Creator of all things visible and invisible. He created me as well. He knows me; He gave me the Spirit of life and earthly life through natural parents. He wants me to be perfectly happy for all eternity. He delivered up His only begotten Son to shameful death for my sake. He wants me to receive His love. The love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit.
Spiritual gifts. Part VI /video/
Post date: 2013-10-24Autor: BCP
Spiritual gifts. Part V. + Elijah Patriarch of the Byzantine Catholic Patriarchate
Spiritual gifts. Part V /video/
Post date: 2013-10-23Autor: BCP
Spiritual gifts. Part V. + Elijah Patriarch of the Byzantine Catholic Patriarchate
Spiritual gifts. Part IV /video/
Post date: 2013-10-10Autor: BCP
Spiritual gifts. Part IV. + Elijah Patriarch of the Byzantine Catholic Patriarchate
Spiritual gifts. Part III /video/
Post date: 2013-10-03Autor: BCP
Spiritual gifts. Part III. + Elijah Patriarch of the Byzantine Catholic Patriarchate
Reflection on Rom 8:33-34
Post date: 2013-09-28Autor: BCP
The question is who will accuse God’s elect. We can be accused by demons, by people, by our conscience or by God. Everyone who commits an offence is liable to a just punishment. “The wages of sin is death.” (Rom 6:23) “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Rom 3:23) But it is God who justifies. How? “Freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.” (Rom 3:24) Whom? Him who believes in Jesus and receives by faith the power of His redemptive death on the cross for us.
Spiritual gifts. Part II /video/
Post date: 2013-09-27Autor: BCP
Spiritual gifts. Part II. + Elijah Patriarch of the Byzantine Catholic Patriarchate
Spiritual gifts. Part I /video/
Post date: 2013-09-26Autor: BCP
Spiritual gifts. Part I. + Elijah Patriarch of the Byzantine Catholic Patriarchate